Before Everybody Jumps Ship

[kevin]

(09-24-2018, 10:26 AM)Benton Wrote: As has been said, our defense didn't match up well with their offense. I'm not too worried about it as A- the Bengals stayed in the game and B- there's not many offenses built like Carolina's.

If I had to throw a C in there, it would be that we were going to have to lose to someone; at least this one wasn't to a team in the N.

This.  Some teams aren't built to play certain teams. they don't match up well.   Bengals are built to play AFC North, not this complete opposite Cam Newton offense. Bengals don't play them again unless in Super Bowl.   As for our D problems, Ravens and Steelers have been having huge D problems. I'm seeing most defenses struggling early on, and the new ticky tacky rules aren't helping as per the Packers outspoken players & coach. It's early, and there will be good defenses before this season is over.  Up next is Ryan who is more like Luck or Flacco than Cam Newton, so I think we match up better. It's still a tough road game, but I think Bengals match up better.  Hey, I saw this with Ohio State so often. Great season and get beat in Rose Bowl or down South against fast surf and turf teams. You have to build to play in the snow and slop up here, a surf and turf team would get killed in the Great Lakes North in Winter Football. Gamblers agree, in snow, always take the Northern team.

So Bengals still in First Place, the D should match up better with a Ryan who is no Cam Newton runner, and I've felt all along this team will get better each week this season. That is what you want really, be around First Place and hit your peak in November and December going into play-offs.  I saw Jets one year come out great and fall apart, you don't want that. You want to improve until you hit your peak Thanksgiving and Christmas. Bengals going into October will still have 7 of their 8 home games in THE JUNGLE to do this. 

As for elite quarterbacks, Brady and Rodgers weren't very elite yesterday. Someone on here last week said Brees isn't any good, Wrong. Right now everybody loves Browns one half wonder, but NFL now has game film on him now and NFL defenses will adjust on him. It takes more than one half to make a career. To the person that says Dalton never brings team back to win, that's just not true. Dalton brought Bengals back to beat Ravens end of year, then brought Bengals back to beat Colts start of year and then Ravens again. Under Dalton Bengals scored more points their first 2 games than in all the teams 51 year history. Now say this franchise hasn't won in play-offs, and that's true, but Dalton will end up with more wins than any Bengal QB before he's done. He might have did it yesterday if Ross completes his routes. I'm not giving up on Ross though, I consider him still a rookie due to injuries. Losing AJ Green hurt, I'm not crying or making excuses, just saying Ross is no Green yet.

Again, when Atkins and Dunlap came in, Cam could run through the gaps in a way few NFL QBs can. I think Atkins and Dunlap going after Ryan that Ryan doesn't make Cam type runs. Bengals D matches up better hopefully against Falcons pocket QB more like Luck & Flacco than Cam. I know Ryan has some surprising speed like Dalton, but Ryan is no Jim Brown size runner like Cam.